Families placed into emergency B&Bs and hostels often live in a single room, with parents sharing the bed with children, the Shelter report found, adding that those placed into B&Bs stay beyond the legal six-week limit.

Several parents also said their child’s mental and physical health had declined since they became homeless, citing bed bug infestations, broken heating, and stress.

Shelter said: “Most of us are unaware of how homeless children live. Families rarely experience the most visible symptom of homelessness, having to sleep rough.

“They are often embarrassed to even let relatives or friends see where they are having to live.”